Bellows construction for player-pianos and the like



A. G. GULBRANSENI BELLOWS CONSTRUCTION FOR PLAYER PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 25, 1918.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

"iiil HHHIM AXEL G. -GULBR-AI\TSEN, or CHICAGO, IL INOIS, IASSIGNOR ,TOYGULB'RALVTSEN; I.

' -DICKII\ISO1\T 00., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,- A CORPORATION 01EI LIL [1 \T0IS.

Burrows consrauorionronPLAYER-Pianos AND TH mKn. if.

To all whom it may concern: I 7

Be it known that I, AXEL G. GULBRAN- SEN a Citizen of the United States, residing at (lhicago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bellows Construction for Player-Pianos and the like, of which the following is a full, clear; concise, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the bellows construction for player pianos and the like and particularly tothe pumping bellows which are employed to'create the suction by which the player pianois operated.

The suction bellows as heretofore constructed have generally employed a spring for moving the movable board inward and pedal means or some other operating device is connected to the movable board for distending the'bellows to'create the suction.

Heretofore in the operation of these devices the rubbing of the spring against the movable board of the suction bellows has often caused a very annoying 'squ'eak or noise.

Such noise is almost impossible to eliminate and is very undesirable.

The' aim of the present invention is to provide a noiseless and efficient bellows for devices of this class.

In orderto acquaint those skilled in the art with the preferred manner of practising my invention, I shall now describe, in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of the present specification, an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the main wind channel with the supporting board for the equalizer bellows and the pumping bellows of a typical player piano mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the suction bellows of my invention showing the manner in which the spring and roller cooperates; and V Fig. 3 is an end view taken from the right of Fig. 2.

The pumping bellows 1 and 2, which are similar in construction, are mounted upon a supporting board 3 and a wind channel 4, as is customary in structures of this character. Each bellows consists of a movable board 5 and a stationary board 6 connected together means of a flexible 7, preferably made ofleather. -The interior of the pumping bellows 1 and ,2 communicates Specificationof Letters Patent, Patented 613.

Application filed October 25, 1 918. Serial Ne. 259,615.

with suitablepassageways in the wind cha'n- 1 nel 4 and these passageways connect in turn withthe equalizer or reservoir bellows 8 and 9, the construction of which is well under-- These equalizing or'reser'voir bel lows are also mounted upon the baseboard stood.

3 and communicate with theinterior of the wind channel 4:. Upon the interior of each.

of these bellows 8 and 9, springmeans is provided for holding the'bellows normally in suspended position, and when suction is created in the passageways of, the wind channel 4! by means of the eX-hauster or pumping-bellows 1 and 2, the equalizing or reservoir bellows 8 and 9. are collapsed against .the tension of their respective springs in order to smooth out'thefluctuation pressure which might otherwise-"be caused by the irregular operation of the bel lows 1 and 2. The bellows l-and 2-are op:

erated preferably by suitable pedal mechanism-which is indicated by the bracket-s10 secured to themovable board 5. The exhauster or pumping bellows 1 and 2 are provided with leaf springs 11 which tend normally to collapse these bellows so that they may be distended for pumping purposes by the power applied at the pedals. The leaf springs 11 are L-shaped', one arm of the L beingfastened by thescrew l2 and the strap 13 to the top of the wind channel 4. The free-end or other leg of the spring" extends down and is curved upwardly to a slight extent as shown at 14 at the point where connection is made between this free end of the spring and the exhauster .or pumping-bellows. A small friction plate 15 which may be stamped out of. sheet metal is secured to the movableboard 5 directly under the end of the spring 11. This friction-plate 15 is provided with smalllugs at the end through which suitable holes arev formed to permit fastening of the friction plate by means of the brads or nails 16. 'A small anti-friction roller 17 isinterposed between the end 14 of the spring 11 and the friction plate 15. This roller substitutes rolling friction for sliding friction which is the cause of the'squeak and noisesin piano constructions heretofore employed.

plates are turned up" to form flanges as a 11, and may be guided against assuming a skewed position. v v

The result of this construction is a quiet bellows and one in which the friction of the engagement between the spring and the movable board is a minimum. i 7

It is to be understood that I do not intend to limit my invention to the precise details shown and described.

I claim: 7

1. In combination, a bellows having a sta- ,tionary board and a movable board, a support for the stationary board, a leaf spring having one end mounted on said stationary board andhaving a free end operatively engaged with the movable board of the bellows, said connection comprising a friction plate mounted on the movable board and a roller engaging the friction plate and the free end ofthe spring.

'2. In combination, a wind channel, a bellows having a stationary board secured at its upper end to said wind channel, a movable board, an L-shaped leaf spring having one end secured to the wind channel and having its free-end extending over the movable board of the bellows, av friction plate mounted'onthe movable board and an antifriction roller lying between the friction plate and the free end of the spring.

3. In combination, a bellows having a stationary board and a movable board, a metallic plate mounted on the movable board, said plate having its upper and lower edges upturned at substantially right angles to the body of the plate, a spring for moving the movable board,'and a roller'lying in contact with'the plate and with the spring, said roller being restrained by said upturned flanges.

a. In combination, a bellows having a stationary board and a movable board, spring means for engaging the movable board, a small metallic plate mounted on the outside of said movable board, said nel, a bellows mounted on thewind channel and on said board, said bellows comprising a stationary board and a movable board, a leaf spring of L-shape having one edge thereof connected to the wind channel, a metallic strap lying over the said one end of the spring, the other end of the spring being operatively engaged with the movable board of the bellows and an anti-friction rdller interposed between said end of the spring and the movable board of thebellows.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of October, A. D.

AXEL G. GULBRANSEN.- 

